The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-09-22
TOPICS FOR, FARMERS.
now TO DO PAYING WORK AT THIS
SEASON.

SEASON.
Suggestions OF Interest, from an Author
tatiye Source.
wv. l.. Jones in Southern Cultivator)
COTTON PICKING. =.
The characteristic farm work OF tb1
the Grst fall mouth is cotton harvesting
Tho fruition of the cotton planters hop
of q successful, practical machine for tn
gathering of cotton is yet in abeyance
and tho work must still be done by MIN
bic human fingers. Inventors, however
are earnestly at work seeking to solv'
this great problem, rs will be seen BY
the illustrations ard descriptions in thii
number Of the Cultivator. Cotton-pick
ing by hand is by far the most expensive
operation in the production of raw cot
ton. Moreover, the cost of nearly every
operation, except picking, may be re-
duced in proportion as tho yield per
acre is greater. There is practically but
little difference in the cost per pound of
gathering by hand the crop from an acre
producing one thousand pounds of seed
cotton and another acre yielding QUE
half as much. Hence the supreme i'm
portance and universal desire for a
practical machine to supersedc the work
of the hand. Such machine must
necessarily be SO constructed-to be
efficient-that its daily capacity will DO
almost in direct proportion to tho yield
per acre.
Much has been said and written of
late years about the Importance of gath
ering cotton from trash, to use tie
farmers vcrDacular; and some of the
writers, although right in the main, are
evidently but little familiar witc the re-
quirements and conditions that must be
practically met on a cotton farm during
the harvesting Of the crop. Some years
ago an apparently otherwise Intelligent
English writer undertook to show that
there was no excuse whatever for tho
presence OF sand or soil in bales of cot
ton; that the cotton crop opened (n(I Of
1t, was his idca) i'll September, q month
in which there was little or no rainfall
He concluded, and reprovcd and lect,rcd
the farmer accordingly, that the sand
was fraudulently added by the farmer as
make-Weight.
While it is desirable to house tho cot
ton as free from leaf and hull as luay
be, it is of first Importance that the c,Op
' De "gone over" as often rs the quantity
open at one time is sufficient to enable
the hands 10 90 u fair days work. in
the interest Of economy, and with q
limited picking force, celebrity of move
ment, nimblencss of fingers, and the
weight of cotton gathered per hand per
day are tho points to be observed. Lhe
pickers should not be embarrassed and
retarded in their work by too rigid re-
quirementS in the matter of trash. They
should 60 with rush from the start, and
every proper encouragement should be
offered them to bring heavy baskets to
tho steelyards A little trash hurts very
little; good deal does not affect the
selling price seriously, if the sample ie
bright and free from wcatherstains End
dirt. Great caro- in removing or avoid
irg trash may add half a cent, or even
more, to the ceiling price of q weeks
work OF six bales harvested, leaving three
bales i'll the field to be storm beaten and
destroyed to the extent of onc-third its
original value, before the hands get to
work again. Fast work and q little more
trNfh might have saved the nine bales
before the storm.
Che same idea applies to picking the
cotton clean from the hulls. Hands
should be taught TO make one we'll
directed grab ut an open boil, and then
grab the next. The little that may be
left in many of the hulls will rop,ain
until the last picking, when the field
may be closely CLEANED. It should be
considered that dirt, stains, loss of color
and brightness Of sample, and loss of
cotton from falling to the ground, are
far more damaging than tho presence of
, clean trash.
: 1t was one of the excellencies of David
Dickson's farm management that he
studied the manual operations Of the
I'm in detail and taught his laborers
.ow to do everything to the best posi-.
)lo advantage. He not only studied to
discover the shortest and best way of
performing given operation, but also
sought to determine which are the most
important details. He taught his labor
aES as shoemaker or machinist teach
90 his apprentice. Ho stressed the i'm
portance Of dextcrity and skill in every
detail Of the apparently simple opera
tions OF ehopping cotton and picking
cotton. His attcntiOn to the details of
performing the various farm operations
contributed largely to his success as a
farmer and planter.
After the cotton is picked, if wet fl ON
heavy dew or rain it will pay to exercise
some care in drying it, by spreading on
scaffGlds or by distributing it over Il
large surface i'll the cotton house, espo-
cially that from the bottom of the basket
when heavy dews are prevailing. with
the present labor, however, not much
cotton is gathered before the dew dis
appears.) With the lnrger part of the
crop now ginned and baled at custom
ginneries, there should be much great
or improvement in the quality OF the
work over that of tho old plantation
gin-houBe than is yet manifest. Careful
handling, proper ginning and balinP
should be insisted upon.
GATHERING CORN.
Corn ought to be cribbed just as soor
as dry enough to keep in bulk. Om
almost invariable practice during twenty
years of active farm life in lower Georgia
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